Target Praised for its Advances in Chemical Management and Transparency

Target is blazing a new corporate path, according to one key interest group, by increasing its chemical management, transparency and innovation.

The Environmental Defense Fund says that Target is promising to implement a hazard-based approach to prioritize chemicals, which will use health and environmental standards to judge which ones get added to its restricted list.

“This approach is critical to fostering safer product design and is in line with the philosophy of the Commons Principles for Alternatives Assessment, guiding principles EDF helped develop,” says Boma Brown-West, who authored the story. ” To kick off this work, Target outlines chemical and product specific goals: removal of PFCs and flame retardants from textiles by 2022 and removal of formaldehyde and formaldehyde donors, phthalates, butyl paraben, propyl paraben, and NPEs from the formulated product categories mentioned above by 2020.

On transparency, Target has “surpassed” its competitors by committing to try and get full knowledge of the chemicals used in both the manufacturing process as well as the final products shelved in its stores. “This goal is significant and noteworthy, considering the number and variety of products (and associated manufacturing processes) at the average retail store,” writes Brown-West.

Finally, the blog says that Target is committed to directly support safer chemicals innovation, meaning that it wants to eliminate hazardous chemicals from the consumer product value chain while discovering safer alternatives and enabling their usability in products is as important.

Specifically, Target pledges an investment of up to $5 million in green chemistry innovation by 2022, it adds, while publicly sharing its progress on an annual basis.